Going Beyond What Is Written In The Bible

by God_Delusion 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Cold Steel

  One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible is that it's a handbook. It's not, by any means. There are scores of questions the Bible doesn't answer, to wit:

  • What is the overall structural organization of the church?
  • What officers should there be in the church? Apostles, bishops, deacons, priests, evangalists and so forth. What are their duties? How are they chosen?
  • Once selected, who can ordain people to these offices? How do they do it and by what authority?
  • Amos 3:7 states that the Lord will do NOTHING save He reveal it to His servants the prophets. Where is there in the scriptures a prophecy that states the Lord will set up His Kingdom in the latter days and choose a governing body to head it? (Daniel 2 states the Lord will establish His Kingdom in the days of the fractured toes of the figure seen in the dream, but Daniel states that it would roll forth as a stone without hands, meaning it will not be established by men, but by God.) So how does this point the way to the governing board?
  • How is baptism to be performed, and by what authority? And who can administer the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit?
  • Jesus came to teach the apostles for 40 days following His resurrection. What did He teach them during that time that He had not taught them many times before. And why were these teachings secret?
  • Who selects the governing board members, and how much authority does the board have? Is their authority apostolic in nature?
  • Does the GB receive revelation from Jehovah? Some say the board only receives "inspiration" from On High, but isn't inspiration revelation? In many revelations given anciently, the Lord's will was made known by the Holy Spirit, who would speak to them in their hearts. So the board either receives revelation or it doesn't.
  • How often should the sacrament of emblems be administered and who is authorized to bless them?
  • How should missionary work be conducted? Is it enough to hand someone some literature and be on their way? Or should they try to get in and teach the people.

  These are only a few of the questions the Bible doesn't answer, which if it were a handbook, it should. The Bible also does not confer authority. If it did, every person who wanted to establish a church through the Internet could. For only a few dollars you can get a ministerial certificate right through any one of a dozen or so places on the Internet.

  At any rate, I know of no place in the scriptures that designate 1914 as a prophetic date. Daniel, in Chapter 2, made a very complicated historical prophecy that came to pass literally. And in Chapter 9, he correctly prophecies the exact timeline of the Savior's ministry in the famous "seventy week" prophecy. And Isaiah wrote in Chapter 53 a very detailed prophecy about Christ that no one can miss.
• 

  apostatethunder

  The only thing written by God directly are the 10 Commandments. Everything else was written by men. I personally believe they were inspired, but the rest of the Bible is an adition to this code of conduct that are the Commandments, and that Jesus resumed in two: love God with your whole heart, soul, and mind and your neighbour as yourself.

  I don’t think there can be any superior law to that.
• 

  Isidore

  Cold Steel, you've identified the Catholic Church.
• 

  Cold Steel

  The only thing written by God directly are the 10 Commandments. Everything else was written by men.

  You’re entitled to your opinion, but there’s much evidence to the contrary. The Bible is full of incredible prophecies and the Law of Moses, when understood, is wonderfully profound in its compassion and justice. It also points the way to Christ in its doctrine of sacrifice. The sacrifice of a lamb without blemish is symbolic of the sacrifice of the lamb of God. And when the people became wicked and rebelled, God sent poisonous serpents to ravage them. But when Moses petitioned the Lord, the Lord told him to place serpents on staffs and take them throughout the camps. All the people had to do is look upon the graven serpents and they were healed. This was clearly a type and token of Christ upon the cross.

  Also, if one examines passages such as Isaiah 52 (verses 12-14) and 53, who but God could have spoken it? Then, in Ezekiel 38-39, God specifically addresses “the Beast of Revelation” who will come down against Israel in the latter days: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.” The Lord then tells how He will turn back Gog and put pruning hooks into his mouth and destroy him and his army, leaving but a sixth part remaining. He then says, “And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward.”

  The two chapters describe the battle of Armageddon in detail. The scripture is recorded not only as a prophecy, but as a warning to the man who will be the Beast—the antichrist who will gather many nations together to destroy Jerusalem.

  Jesus prophesied against Jerusalem in His day and foretold its destruction by the Romans. Because of the revelations received subsequently by the apostles, the Christians left the city before the destruction resulting in zero loss of Christians, who had gathered to others cities such as Pella. Not only did prophets talk about the destruction of Jerusalem, they also foretold its gathering (see Isaiah 11). This began to be fulfilled in the late 1800s and culminated in the creation of the state of Israel in 1947.

  The prophecies of Daniel were so detailed that it’s impossible to think that they were the works of men, so to think that only the ten commandments were of God is to be a bit narrow. In fact, the Bible is full of prophecies that have come to pass or which are awaiting fulfillment.
• 

  apostatethunder

  When Jesus said your house is abandoned to you, means that future prophecies are not referring to literal Israel.

  That’s my opinion.
• 

  mP

  GodDelusion:

  Hi guys & gals!

  The Watchtower Society have once again ignored the tent makers wise words to not go beyond what is written in the Bible.

  How many times has the Watchtower Society gone beyond what is written in the Bible?

  http://www.jehovahswitnessblog.com/bible/do-not-go-beyond-the-things-that-are-written/

  Love,
  Jaymes "Teeny Pyjamas" Payten

  mP -> GD

  Everybody goes beyond the Bible, because the Bible is utterly stupid.

  Take Number 5:11-15, as sure fire strategy from jehovah to test if a women is guilty of adultery.

  http://www.watchtower.org/e/bible/nu/chapter_005.htm

  and another man actually lies down with her and has an emission of semen, and it has been hidden from the eyes of her husband and has remained undiscovered, and she, on her part, has defiled herself but there is no witness against her, and she herself has not been caught; 14 and the spirit of jealousy has passed upon him, and he has become suspicious of his wife’s faithfulness, and she in fact has defiled herself, or the spirit of jealousy has passed upon him, and he has become suspicious of his wife’s faithfulness, but she in fact has not defiled herself; 15 then the man must bring his wife to the priest and bring her offering along with her, a tenth of an e´phah of barley flour. He must not pour oil upon it nor put frankincense upon it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, a memorial grain offering bringing error to remembrance.

  16 “‘And the priest must bring her forward and make her stand before Jehovah. 17 And the priest must take holy water in an earthenware vessel, and the priest will take some of the dust that happens to be on the floor of the tabernacle, and he must put it in the water. 18 And the priest must make the woman stand before Jehovah and loosen the hair of the woman’s head and put upon her palms the memorial grain offering, that is, the grain offering of jealousy, and in the hand of the priest there should be the bitter water that brings a curse.

  19 “‘And the priest must make her swear, and he must say to the woman: “If no man has lain down with you and if while under your husband you have not turned aside in any uncleanness, be free of the effect of this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 But you, in case you have turned aside while under your husband and in case you have defiled yourself and some man has put in you his seminal emission, besides your husband,—” 21 The priest must now make the woman swear with an oath involving cursing, and the priest must say to the woman: “May Jehovah set you for a cursing and an oath in the midst of your people by Jehovah’s letting your thigh fall away, and your belly swell. 22 And this water that brings a curse must enter into your intestines to cause your belly to swell and the thigh to fall away.” To this the woman must say: “Amen! Amen!”

  Imagine if KH had this procedure!

  x
• 

  apostatethunder

  Thankfully as Christians we are not under the Law.

  It's a warning for women: don’t marry a jealous man.
• 

  mP

  ApostateThunder

  Thankfully as Christians we are not under the Law.

  It's a warning for women: don’t marry a jealous man.

  mP -> ApostateThunder

  thats untrue, Jesus actually said and did the exact opposite. he was a very good jew, did all the jewish things. Of course if im wrong show me the scripture where he said to ignore moses. Apparently Peter didnt think jesus said to ignore Moses which is why he got into an argument with Paul. Strange how an ordinary man can overrule the Son of God on such a matter.